A Soulful Journey

Ghettos serve very important function for the privileged. If there were no ghetto, the rich would have to look into the eyes of the poor every day. In the 1980s, thousands of families became homeless in New York. Inevitably these people walked the streets and stored outside the restaurant and seizures. The last thing the theater homeowners wanted was to have a wealthy couple spend $200 to see Les Miserables and then come out from the theater and see the real thing! I walked by the theater sometimes and would notice people who presumably had been inside weeping for the poor children of Paris a few minutes before; now coming out on the street, they were miserably offended by the sight of people begging on the sidewalk.”  - Jonathan Kozol

Rabbi Meyer Heller tells of the strongest and shortest sermon on record, consisting of only nine words, given in New York City at the turn of the century.   Rabbi Jacob Joseph had come from Vilna to become the Chief Rabbi of New York City.   He was a man with vast learning and a phenomenal memory who could speak for hours, quoting at length from a variety of sources. No one of such Jewish learning and stature had ever graced America’s shores before. When he spoke, the entire Lower East Side came to hear him.  People walked from all over, even arranging to sleep in Manhattan wanted to be present at what was considered a major spiritual and intellectual event. But sadly, Rabbi Joseph suffered a stroke. It was not known whether he would ever be able to speak again. To recover slowly and was finally released from the hospital just before Rosh Hashana. The community waiting anxiously to see if he would address them again.   His family and friends tried to dissuade him ...